1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cameras and recording devices, and more specifically to cameras and recording devices used to acquire visual and audio data during operation of a vehicle, and importantly, to record events related to vehicle accidents.
2. Description of Related Art
Automobiles are the most common form of transportation in the United States, and unfortunately accidents do occur. In most of the automobile accidents that occur the cause of the accident is generally disputed or unknown. Knowing the cause of the accident is critical as the damages associated with the resulting medical treatment and automobile repair can be very expensive.
Although in many cases there are eye witnesses to the accident for several reasons their testimony is not always reliable. First, the eye witnesses closest to the action are typically the drivers involved in the accident. Of course, these witnesses testimony can be biased due to the potential liability they might incur, or they can be injured and as a result not remember the accident or the events leading up to it. Second, the drivers of other automobiles in the vicinity of the accident that have witnessed the accident generally do not stop to report what they have seen.
Due to the high cost of medical care and car repair, there is a high incentive on the part of the driver at fault to incorrectly report the cause of the accident. As a result of the problems associated with eye witness testimony, several devices have been developed to provide a means of determining the cause of an accident.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,463 of Michetti discloses an audio-visual trip recorder. This device records the audio-visual data on to a video tape cassette. The use of a video tape cassette requires that the cassette be continuously changed or rewound at the end of the tape. This device is activated and deactivated by the automobile""s ignition switch. Although relying on the ignition switch is fairly effective when the recording device is a video cassette, it is a problem if another type of recording medium is used. For example, some recording mediums record for a set period of time and then after the set period has expired, the old visual data is overwritten with the new incoming visual data.
From the preceding descriptions, it is apparent that the devices currently being used have significant disadvantages. Thus important aspects of the technology used in the field of invention remain amenable to useful refinement.
The present invention further refines the existing art. In its first preferred embodiment, the invention is an apparatus for obtaining and storing audio and visual data for use with a vehicle having an engine and an alarm system. The engine having a status of either operating or not operating, and the alarm system having a status of either alerting or not alerting. The invention includes means, which are responsive to the status of the engine, for activating and deactivating the apparatus. It also includes means for gathering the visual data inside and outside the vehicle. It further includes means for continuously recording the visual and audio data.
The foregoing is a description of the first preferred embodiment of the invention in its broadest or most general form. Even in this general form, however, it can be seen that this invention significantly mitigates the difficulties left unresolved in the art.
In particular, the invention allows for continuous recording of visual and audio data without requiring the user to replace or rewind a video cassette. Thus, the user can essentially forget that the apparatus is there until the user wants to retrieve the recorded and stored data.
Having a medium upon which audio and visual data are continuously being recorded requires that the apparatus stop recording immediately after an accident. Other inventors have connected their systems to the vehicle""s ignition switch, and when that switch is on the system is recording. This is generally not a problem if the recording meduim is a video cassette that stops recording when the cassette tape has ended. This, however, is a problem if the recording medium is continuously recording by overwriting previously acquired visual and audio data. With this type of system, the data of the accident could be overwritten as a result of the vehicle""s ignition switch being on.
Therefore, the invention here does not record data depending on whether the ignition switch is in the on position or not, instead, the apparatus records the information only when the engine is operating. This is effective because the more recently produced automobiles have a mechanism whereby the engine shuts off in the event of an accident. Thus, the invention stops recording when the engine is not operating, which prevents the apparatus from overwriting the data of the accident.
Although this embodiment in its broad form represents a significant advance in the art, it is preferably practiced in conjunction with certain other features or characteristics that further enhance the invention""s overall benefits.
For example, it is preferred that the gathering means include a camera and the recording means include a flash memory recording circuit. It is also preferred that the invention further include some means for acquiring the audio data inside and outside the vehicle, and some means for manually deactivating the apparatus. It is further preferred that the invention include some means, which are responsive to the alarm system, for turning-on and turning-off the apparatus, as well as the alarm system.
In its second preferred embodiment the invention is an apparatus for obtaining and storing audio and visual data for use with a vehicle having an engine and an alarm system. The engine having a status of either operating or not operating, and the alarm system having a status of either alerting or not alerting. The apparatus includes some means, which are responsive to the status of the engine, for activating and deactivating the apparatus. It also includes a camera, for gathering the visual data inside and outside the vehicle, as well as a flash memory recording circuit for continuously recording the visual data and audio data.
The foregoing is a description of the second preferred embodiment of the invention in its broadest or most general form. Even in this general form, however, it can be seen that this invention significantly mitigates the difficulties left unresolved in the prior art.
In particular, the flash memory recording circuit continuously records the visual data gathered by the camera on a preset time interval. If the time interval were preset for five minutes, then after five minutes of data had been recorded, the new data would be recorded over the old data. Thus, the recording circuit is continuously recording without having to replace a recording medium, as is required with a video cassette, and the flash memory chip always has five minutes of data stored.
Although this embodiment in its broad form represents a significant advance in the art, it is preferably practiced in conjunction with certain other features or characteristics that further enhance the invention""s overall benefits.
For example, it is preferred that the invention further includes a microphone for acquiring the audio data inside and outside the vehicle, and a button for manually deactivating the apparatus. It is also preferred that the invention include some means, which are responsive to the status of the alarm system, for turning-on and turning-off the apparatus. It is further preferred that the invention include the alarm system.
Also preferred is that the flash memory recording circuit include some means for reviewing the recorded audio data and visual data. Further preferred is that the reviewing means include a television.
In its third preferred embodiment the invention is an apparatus for obtaining and storing audio and visual data for use with a vehicle having an engine and an alarm system. The engine having a status of either operating or not operating, and the alarm system having a status of either alerting or not alerting. The apparatus includes some means, which are responsive to the status of the engine, for activating and deactivating the apparatus. It also includes some means, which are responsive to the status of the alarm system, for turning-on and turning-off the apparatus. Further included is a camera for gathering the visual data inside and outside the vehicle, and a microphone for acquiring the audio data inside and outside the vehicle. Lastly, the invention includes a flash memory recording circuit for continuously recording the visual data and audio data, whereby the recording is terminated by the deactivation of the apparatus when the engine is not operating and the visual and audio data are stored in the flash memory recording circuit. The flash memory semi-conductor recording circuit includes some means for reviewing the recorded audio data and visual data.
The foregoing is a description of the third preferred embodiment of the invention in its broadest or most general form. Even in this general form, however, it can be seen that this invention significantly mitigates the difficulties left unresolved in the art.
In particular, the recording of data is initiated by either the operating of the engine or the alerting of the alarm system. Thus, the apparatus can record the events before and during an automobile accident, as well as during a breach of security of the automobile, such as vandalism or theft.
Although this embodiment in its broad form represents a significant advance in the art, it is preferably practiced in conjunction with certain other features or characteristics that further enhance the invention""s overall benefits.
For example, it is preferred that the reviewing means include a television. It is also preferred that the activating and deactivating means include either a purge solenoid electric terminal, a power steering pressure switch, or an alternator combined with a voltage regulator. It is further preferred that the invention include the alarm system.
All of the foregoing operational principles and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciate upon consideration of the following detailed description, with reference to the appended drawings.